Both my sons attended the “less obvious” choice in colleges. They went for fit over name after some serious consideration and conversation about merit packages, opportunities, etc. One of my sons came up with a spreadsheet of criteria, how each one ranked, and how important each was to him. The other wrestled til the night of May 1st between his top two and chose based on the philosophical way classes were taught.
They each had some great choices, and there really were no bad decisions because both invested a lot of time and energy into creating a list that fit.
Both had some “what if…” but it was less about the school than personal growth stuff.
With tuition rates where they are now, money would have been a much larger part of the discussion. One turned down a full COA scholarship, but went to a school that gave him decent merit $. The other had merit at two schools, but it wasn’t enough to change the game.
At the time, we were near full pay with one, and got FA with two – but we had planned for this and were lucky that life, despite complications, worked. We were also clear with them that we couldn’t help with grad school, down payment or car if they chose a pricey school. That didn’t change their decision making process.